Bel Respiro Eau de Parfum

This is, by some margin, the most underrated fragrance in the Chanel Les Exclusifs lineup in my view, and maybe the the most underrated Chanel fragrance period. I asked the SA at a Chanel counter and she confirmed it's not a bestseller. In some respects it's easy to see why; this doesn't grab your attention in the way Le Lion, Coromandel and Sycomore do. It's quiet; green, green and also green, like the smell of freshly cut grass and daffodils caught in a sudden gust of wind. Where Coromandel seems to belong in some olfactve world divorced from real world images, Bel Respiro is immediately photorealistic, evoking the music of Enya played from a gramophone sat in a rolling meadow. This is floral, but as the name suggests, it is specifically the scent of flowers caught in the wind, most likely due to the added marine notes in the heart. It's a testament to Jacques Polge's genius that he was able to achieve this. The leather note in the base is not the leather of a new jacket or car upholstery but that of worn saddle or seat cushion, left to oxidise in a humid garden. You could in theory compare this to Chanel's own very green No.19 or even Cristalle but in reality they are a world apart. There's an unmistakable sadness to Cristalle, whereas Bel Respiro is filled with hope to my mind. As with most green scents, the longevity is not the best, just a few hours on my skin with low projection. The price is certainly high, but I find it so beautifully blended I can overlook this.

If you are searching for a fragrance which mirrors the warming weather, leaves unfurling, bulbs peeping from the earth, blue skies, then this is it. Bel Respiro 2016 formulation is a very tart green. The Chanel sales assistant told me the fresh note I was trying to identify was daffodil. As soon as she told me I thought That's it! Daffodil stems newly cut and placed in a vase of water, Fragrantica, and even the Chanel official site, only show limited notes however Basenotes says this about Bel Respiro. Top Notes Citrus, Grass, Crushed leaves, Galbanum, Rosemary, Thyme Heart Notes Daffodil, Honeysuckle, Rose, Hyacinth Base notes Leather, Vetiver Although the Chanel site says this is a feminine fragrance, men could absolutely wear this. It's not a "pretty" floral green, but it is invigorating and oh so fresh. A lovely fragrance to layer with overtly floral fragrances too if you are looking for a nice blend or if you find this a little astringent. I like it with Chanel No 22 and Coco Mademoiselle Intense. Very versatile. Thank you M. Polge once again.

# UPDATE Since I recieved both concentrations in the same time, it's fair enough for me, without any preconceived prejudice, to say that the EDP has a bit more depth, more complexity, more longevity compared to the EDT. Unlike more fraction of Les Exclusifs have been damaged from the EDP reconstruction, Bel Respiro EDP is, fortunately, another one of very few that has gone through an improvement. It more vividly depicts the image that a misty woods with water drops on the leaves in early spring. As I said, the EDP has a bit more in most aspects, well, please notice the adjunct words a bit . To be sure, the lithe leather nuance along with the floral note that lingers in the EDT is restrained here, yet not totally missing. Besides, a woody layer of EDP duly compensates the loss, in addition to a thicker concentration that make it to be more forest-like and more unisex. Both of them are quite nice, but still, it is not that necessary to own them both. Rating: 7.5/10 (EDP and EDT) FYI, the batch code of my EDP is 0301, produced in Mar 2016.

Hmm, mixed feelings about his one. On the up side: with its flawness elegance and understated chic, Bel Respiro is Chanel at its very best. It is a green scent that perfectly balances bitter, fresh and floral notes, one that sparkles out of the bottle (a touch of those miraculous Chanel aldehydes). Even after a few hours of wear, it still smells like the dewy freshness of spring, which I find quite a feat. The leather note is a mere suggestion, but it does give the scent a bit more body. A few spritzes and life is easy.... My only reserve is that it is so incredibly polished that it ends up lacking in character. There's not a hint of sex appeal here, which is something to consider. However, on the real down side, Bel Respiro doesn't keep its EDP promise. At all. Too quickly, it looses its oomph (still gorgeous though, I admit), so calling it a EDP is a bit misleading. EDT would be more appropriate, but that would require offering much larger bottles for the price they are asking...and that ain't gonna happen chez Chanel, is it?

I’ve been testing it for 4 months and that fragrance grown on me a lot. This is not a perfume to go on a party and to give « look I am here! » vibes. This is more a fragrance that says « come, I have something to show you. ». This fragrance is surely something that you have never smelled before, it’s a new journey! Bel Respiro is mysterious, nostagic, melancolic but full of hopes! Every time I wear it, it gives me differents vibes and emotions. This fragrance have nothing to do with No19. No19 is a cold, clean and green perfume and Bel Respiro is more like a cozy, powdery and green but more like a rainy day green. For me, that was not the love at first sniff at all, but now I think it’s my favorite from les exclusifs!

This is the ultimate powdery green.. very well blended and soft. Has a pleasant green bitterness which I extremely enjoy (the way coffee and beer has). I smelled it first in a Duty Free, but felt guilty spending that much amount of money on a 75 ml bottle. The entire trip kept thinking about it.. unfortunately on the way back the Duty free did not sell from the Exclusifs line... I tested the other mainstream greens from Chanel, but they were too pungent and harsh to my nose. A week later I visited the local Chanel boutique and bought full price, but had to wait another day for shipping from another shop, since it is not very popular. Such a miss for the other ladies, I am very happy to discover this treasure. .

This might be my favorite from the Chanel Les Exclusifs line. While it’s not revolutionary or exceptionally long-lasting, it remains a highly enjoyable fragrance. The scent is green and fresh, yet it carries an air of elegance and subtle seriousness. It features Chanel’s signature aldehyde-like scent (even though it’s not listed in the notes), reminiscent of Chanel No. 5 L’Eau in some ways. In my opinion, this perfume suits individuals aged 30 and above. I picture someone who is polished, successful, and composed wearing this—perhaps someone who takes life seriously but could use a touch more humor.

The opening is gorgeous. A burst of green, grassy goodness that blends with floral undertones for a fresh, summer-time scent. As it settles the grass note becomes more prominent and I can detect a faint note of leather mixed in. Like many Chanel perfumes nowadays, this doesn’t last long or project. But overall it’s a gorgeous, somewhat linear, green floral. I really enjoy it, but I’ll stick with my Chanel No. 19.

Really really nice. Classic aldehydic Chanelade in a dry, pleasant, green scent. Unique but very versatile and wearable. Tons of class and quality. Might be bottle worthy, one of few in the Les Exclusifs discovery set I can see myself wearing regularly. Not sure why I expected some fig, but there is nothing particularly figgy about this, but it's got a greenness I enjoy. Scent: 8.5 / Sillage: 7 / Longevity: 7

Bel Respiro is gorgeous, proving once again that Chanel cannot produce an imperfect green scent. How do they do it? It’s as though they’ve tapped into the Platonic form of “green,” allowing us to smell the real thing rather than a lesser facsimile “shadow” on the cave’s wall. If N°19 is a bit “overcast,” Bel Respiro is bright, a sunny day unencumbered by duty or responsibility.

The EDP has more depth, more longevity and less plastic compared to the EDT. Unlike more fraction of Les Exclusifs have been damaged from the EDP reconstruction, Bel Respiro EDP is, fortunately, another one of very few that has gone through an improvement. It more vividly depicts the image that a misty woods with water drops on the leaves in early spring.

One of the most aptly-named perfumes I’ve ever had the joy to smell. A gentle coastal breeze wafts the divine scent of the most heavenly-smelling mown grass you’ve ever come across into your lungs. It’s the airier sister if you will to Cristalle and No. 19 (so possibly redundant if you like the other two, but do give it a sniff!)

This is a Joke compared to jaques polge original Edt ! What a shame, i would trade all my bottles of olivier for one 200ml of the edt. Except le lion later version ! Bel respiro edt is a masterpiece of perfumery! Im selling the edp

Smells like spring— a literal fresh breath of spring air. Beautifully elegant and green and very natural smelling all at the same time.

I love Chanel perfumes, and this is a Chanel, but I am not going to wax lyrical about it. It smells like some green grass along with bitter and tangy green notes that make me think of arugula mixed with angelica. Maybe bergamot. On top and below, it is covered in a synthetic musk and something very slightly sweet. There is no leather. The florals are vague, if they exist. The whole darn thing is vague. It's linear too. From the time I spray it on until many hours later, absolutely nothing changes. In comparison to the EDT, I definitely smelled leather in the EDT--a nice contrast of green grass and black leather. But I don't smell any leather here at all. It seems like they took the EDTs and removed the qualities that made each of them incredibly unique and recognizable. They turned them into something more easily palatable to the general public. Or maybe they are using cheaper ingredients, I really don't know. This smells like an entirely different fragrance from the EDT, and I regret not buying the EDT years ago. Longevity was actually very long, at least 10 hours; however sillage is a skin scent. I don't mind a soft fragrance, but I also don't want to have to bury my nose into my skin to be able to smell my perfume, especially when it is this expensive. At a stop light today, I was smelling my skin for far too long and embarrassing myself in front of the driver next to me, LOL. I could hardly smell the darn stuff! I feel like a hound dog when I wear this, desperately searching for a lead. It's irksome that that is the only way I can smell my $200 perfume! Same with La Pausa! This EDP is a regretful blind-buy. It's not horrible, but Chanel took away what made it Bel Respiro. I wanted something more than a green-tinged synthetic musk. I wanted leather! Its muskiness has been very unpleasant in the warm temperatures lately. This perfume is not refreshing at all, despite the green notes. I will try it when it gets cooler, as the muskiness might work better, and the fragrance might project better instead of evaporating from my skin so readily. Update January 2020: I was right that it's more enjoyable in cool weather. Because it's so tangy, grassy, green and musky, it feels crisp and refreshing in the cool weather. But there is NO LEATHER, and leather is what made it Bel Respiro to begin with. This is an imposter, not worth $200.

As a lover of green scents, I was excited to try this particular Chanel Exclusif. Bel Respiro is a lovely, simple unisex scent defined by its green-leather accord. It is of a high quality (as you'd expect from Chanel), chypre-like and addictive from initial spray to drydown. The opening is very green - fresh, damp and bright. It is slightly herbal, and brings to mind freshly-cut grass. The green notes are tangible and realistic, reminiscent of a garden after a shower. There are some soft florals, but the emphasis is on their freshly-cut stems. The leather note creeps in fairly soon, giving it much-needed depth and in doing so, bringing it to chypre territory. The green notes become less fresh and more earthy as it develops, complemented perfectly by the leather. Lush, mossy vetiver features, despite not being listed in the notes, and there is a woodiness to the base which rounds out the scent nicely. It dries down to a musky skin scent with a hint of the moss-leather accord. BR is quite linear, and fairly simple, but it reminds me of some vintage green classics, including the original Vent Vert, Estée Lauder Private Collection (the galbanum note especially), and a touch of Chanel No 19 (but not as cold and clean). Sillage and longevity are both moderate. Bel Respiro is a beautiful, high-quality green scent, but it is not special enough to justify the price. Reminiscent of vintage greats. Worth a sniff for green/chypre lovers like myself. 3/5.

Continuing my Chanel resampling odyssey, I arrive at Bel respiro and I like it, but I'm underwhelmed to be honest. In the pantheon of green perfumes Bel respiro just doesn't quite make the cut for me. It's no trope cis 3 hexenal grassy but ultimately unsatisfying perfume, nor is it a big traditional, galbanic, green bomb, (although it leans more in that direction) the airy accord which comes from bel respiro is to be breathed in deeply and savoured. I don't feel it though. I don't connect with Bel respiro and as a relentlessly tedious, fact based guy in a perfume world of woo, things like connections and speaking to my soul, seems wooly and out of character for the acerbic, molecule naming style I've become known for. Truth is though, jus ne sais quoi, heart, soul, all that soppy bullshit, truly IS what makes a perfume special, to deny that would be doing the whole art form a disservice. What's interesting about bel respiro is that there's a warmer base to it but it's so light and subtle it's barely there, smells almost like vanillic/tonka/orris and musks, perhaps that's what constitutes the 'leather' accord listed in this? It's barely in the realms of existence though so as to barely make a difference to talk about.

Bel Respiro is a beautiful name for a house, which makes it a great name for a perfume as well - very evocative! And being the sucker for a good story that I am, that name alone has me halfway sold on this scent. Luckily, the fragrance itself is just as effortlessly elegant; and of course, none of this comes as a surprise from Chanel. In fact, to my nose, this smells like "Chanel" more than anything; exactly like you'd expect their interpretation of grass would smell. It's a mellower, more herbal kind of green than Cristalle Eau Verte, for example; it's not particularly fresh and not sweet or bright at all, but soft and cool and just slightly bitter. I like it a lot, and I think it's quite versatile as well: I can imagine wearing it in all kinds of contexts, especially in spring, and never feeling out of place even though it smells about a thousand times more sophisticated than I'll ever be - it's easygoing enough for that not to matter.

Nice, but fat more aromatic than green to my nose, with a nice, clean freshness that I imagine will work beautifully in the warmth of summer. Compared to the other Chanel "greenies", I would place this closer to Cristalle than any version of No. 19. Interestingly, many say it reminds them of Eau Verte, which I adore. It reminds me much more of Cristalle EDT. It really is a pretty scent, and quite unisex. Not one of my top favorites from the Les Exclusifs line, so not full bottle worthy for me. However, if I found a partially used bottle on Ebay or Mercari for a decent price, I wouldn't hesitate to pick it up to add to my Chanel collection!

Sunday gardening Bel Respiro is along those scents that remind me of playing in nature as a young child, essentially that green bitter dew left on your fingers after picking dandelions or other wild flowers. As an adult you often encounter a similar scent when gardening, Certainly there is a large cucumber peel like galbanum effect in the opening, a lingering damp greenness persists through the formula perhaps with some old broken in leather gloves further adding to that calming gardening vibe. While there certainly is a feeling of serenity to this scent, it ultimately isn't something I would personally want to smell like.